Machine for sorting documents and the like.



F. R FROsT & ,J. L. G. RUBARDT. MACHINE FOB. SORTING DOCUMENTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 8, 1914.

1 1 22,897. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

C R-1mg l 1 F. R. FROST & J. L. G. RUBARDT.

MACHINE FOR SORTING DOCUMENTS AND THE LIKE. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 4.

1,1 22,897, Patented Dec. 29, 1914. 4 nnnnnnnnnnnn 2.

, h, MHMIHH IIHH P. R. FROST & J. L. G. RUBARDT.

MAGHINE FOR SORTING DOCUMENTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1914. v 1 1 22, 91 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

4 SBEBTSSHBET 3.

MM' afiu wmm wem THE NuxRls FETEES CD.. PHOTKXLITHOH WASHINGTONv D. c

I. R. FROST & J. L. O. RUBARDT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1914.

MACHINE FOR SORTING DOCUMENTS AND THE LIKE.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

4 SHBET8SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO UNITED STATES FRANK READING moss o STREATHAM, LQN QNJA avs' vs LOUIS CHARLES,

PATENT OFFICE.

RUBAnp'r, or wn'rroan, ENGLAND.

MACHINE non son'riivenoooil nnrrs AND THE LIKE.

I Application filed June 8,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK READ NG Fnos'r, a subject of the King of England, residing in Streatham, London, England, and J USTUS LOUIS Cnannns Roeann'r, a sub.- ject of the King of England, residing, in \Vatford, Hertfordshire, England, have in vented a certain new and useful Machine for Sorting Documents and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to machines for sorting documents and the like.

In the inventors British patent specification No. 24907 of 1910 there is described a machine for sorting documents and the like which comprises a receptacle to receive the unsorted documents, which are perforated at suitable positions, a rotary drum having a series of pins projecting from its outer surface to engage the documents by means of the corresponding perforations and carry them to a series of collecting trays moving in synchronism with the drum, so that all documents adhering to any one pin are discharged from the pin into a predetermined collecting tray. By this means the documents are sorted. The aforesaid prior speci fication describes a suitable scheme for the.

perforation of the documents.

The present mvention consists in certain improvements in the machine described in i the aforesaid specification, and one feature of the present invention consists in the combination of a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a series of selecting pickers for traveling past and removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, collecting devices cooperating with the picker to sort the documents and a. transporter traveling in a path which is at such an angle to that of the picker that it detaches the documents from the latter and feeds them to the collecting devices. Conveniently the conveyer bands are of coiled spring wire and are spaced away from the drum at a place ad acent the collecting devices and run over pulleys which are so placed in relation to each other and to the drum that the bands in passing over them first proceed in a substantially horizontal direction to detach the documents from the pins on the drum and then form an inclined pathway down which the documents pass to the collecting devices.

Other features of the invention relate to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29', 1914,

1914. Serial 110.8%,655.

the construction and arrangement of the collecting devices, and the receiving receptacle, and the other details of construction herein after described, and claimed in the appended claiming-clauses. 1

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is directed to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example one particular constructional form of sorting machine according to the present invention.

In these draWings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of the machine, parts of the receiving receptacle mechanism being omitted; Fig. l is a perspective view of the lower part of the machine, Figs. 1 and 1 being parts of one complete figure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a detail; Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine with some parts broken away and others in section; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the pin drum and some associated parts, certain of the elements being shown in section; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the receiving receptacle and certain associated parts, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view of a collecting tray.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

The machine is similar in certain respects to that described in the prior specification work A which supports a receiving receptacle B, aselecting drum C and a series of collecting devices such as the trays D.

The periphery of the drum C is covered by rubber or other material C to afford a bands E are spaced away from the drum O at a place adjacent the collecting devices (2'. e. the trays D in the construction illustrated) and'run over two sets of pulleys F, F, which are so placed in relation to referred to above, and comprises a frame each other and to the drum C that the bands E in passing over them first proceed in a substantially horizontal direction and then form an inclined pathway down to the collecting devices. l/Vhile the documents are passing along the aforesaid substantially horizontal path they are detached from the picker pins C but the motion of the conveyer bands sufiices to carry them forward to the inclined pathway between the sets of pulleys F and F down which the documents then pass into the proper collecting devices.

The pulleys F and F are carried in a cradle G which is supported upon rods G carried by brackets G The connection between the rods G and the brackets G is such as to allow of the angular position of the rods G being modified to suit the particular nature of the documents being dealt with. The cradle G may carry a pair of depending fingers G which extend past the opposite edges of the drum C for a purpose to be hereinafter pointed out.

The mechanism for receiving the documents to be sorted comprises a receiving box B mounted beside the rotary drum. It is held adjustably in position on arms H mounted on brackets H by thumb screws to permit of ready adjustment. The receiving box is shown provided with double ends J, J, the outer ends J, being fixed while the inner ends can be adjusted to suit different lengths of documents, so that the documents shall be a close fit in the box and be maintained in their correct position therein.

A transverse positioning device is provided to insure the correct positioning of the documents in the box B. It is shown in Figs. 3 and a and comprises a drum 1 projecting into an opening in the side or face of the box B adjacent the pin drum C so that it can engage with the documents therein. The drum K is mounted on a spindle K driven by bevel gearing K K which allows for reversing the direction of rotation of the drum K by bringing either of the two bevel wheels K into engagement with the bevel pinion K the wheels K are mounted on a horizontal shaft K which in the construction shown carries on the right hand end (in Fig. 3) a rubber tired wheel K or other suitable friction device which is driven by contact with the periphery of the pin drum C. To vary the direction of drive of the drum K the shaft K can be adiusted longitudinally by the finger lever K, and to retain the shaft in whichever position it is brought by the lever K a spring K is provided which cooperates with notches K in the shaft as shown in Fig. 3. The drum K is conveniently mounted about the middle of the length of the receiving box and byits rotaticn feeds the documents toward one end of the box or the other according to its direction of rotation so that the front document which is to be received by the picker pins is correctly positioned transversely of the pin drum. On each side of this drum K, there is provided a rubber star wheel L (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) the two being mounted on a suitably positioned horizontal shaft so positioned that the wheels are driven by contact with the pin drum C on one side and project on the other side into the box B. The pin drum C is traveling upward beside the receiving box B in Fig. 4: so that the star wheels are caused to rotate in the anticlockwise direction as seen in this figure and they engage the documents in the box B and feed them downward on to the bottom of the box so that the documents are brought to a definite position circumfe entially of the pin drum before being acted on by the picker pins. It will be seen therefore that the positioning devices K and L operate to insure that all the documents will be brought to the same position in the receiving box before being acted on by the picker pins.

Above the receiving box 13 and adjacent to its upper edge there are mounted two rubber rollers M (see Fig. 4) suitably mounted on a transverse horizontal shaft M in a cradle P. These rollers M are driven by driving belts M passing over each end of the shaft M; these driving belts are similar to the conveyer belts E. The driving belts M fit in. grooves in the periphery of the pin drum C but pass over the outside of the shaft M to drive the rollers M so that the latter rotate in the same direction (clockwise in Fig. 4-) as does the pin drum C. It follows therefore that the contact surfaces of the rollers M and the pin drum C are moving in opposite directions. The object of this is to prevent any papers being carried upward by frictional contact with each other and not by the picker pins; any documents so carried up from the receiving box will be stopped by the rollers M, and the star wheels L will bring back any such documents to the bottom of the receiving box. Each roller M comprises two parts M M (see Figs. 2 and 3) which are conveniently two separate small rollers mounted side by side on the shaft M Surrounding the upper part of each roller M M is a guard M which has a finger M (see Fig. 2) extending farther around between the rollers M, M This guard serves to prevent the documents being crumpled.

The guards M are carried and the shaft M supported in the cradle P, which, like the pulley-carrying cradle G above-mentioned, is provided with a pair of fingers P extending down over the opposite sides of the pin drum C. This cradle P also carries on its upper edge feeler wires N, which extend toward the top of the pin drum C and press lightly upon its surface. These wires retain the documents in position upon the pickers C until they reach the highest part of the pin drum previous to being detached by the conveyor bands E.

Suitable collecting devices are provided toreceive the sorted documents. In the construction illustrated collector trays D are employed which are pivctally supported between chains D" which are constantly rotated in vertical plane in synchronism I with the pin drum C during the rotation of the latter. The chains D run over gear wheels D which are suitably supported on the framework A. Motion is transmitted between the gear wheels D and the pin drum C by means of wheels D and a chain D Thus the series of collecting trays D and the pin drums C are'coupled together so that when once the pin drum and the trayshave been set in the proper relation to each other, they will always remain so.

. The trays D are provided on the side farthest from the pin drum C with hinged flaps D which are opened when it is desired to abstractdocuments from the trays. Conveniently, these flaps may be perforated so that it will be possible to see whether there are any documents in the tray without opening the flap D Power is shown as being supplied to the machine by a belt 0 from an electric motor 0 situated at the base of the frame-work A. In some circumstances this is a convenient method but any other source of supply drum in order to remain in the same position relatively thereto.

that the depending fingers G and I" are It is to insure this provided on the cradles G and P. As'the drum is moved axially one way or the other, one orother of the pairs of fingers will come into engagement with the side of the pin drum C and shift the cradles G and P.

In operation the documents or the liketo be sorted (which are presumed to be perforated in accordance with some predetermined scheme) are placed in the receiving receptacle B andthe machine started. As

the pin drum C rotates the picker pins C select the documents from the receiving receptacle B and transport them toward the collecting devices D, the latter and the pin drum G having been soarranged in relation to each other that all documents selected by "any particular picker pin shall be deposited in the same collecting device. As already described the documents are first detached from the picker pins by the horizontal path afforded bythe conveyor bands E, and then passed down the inclined pathway between the two sets of pulleys, F, F to the collecting devices.

' The friction rollers M and their guards M insure that no documents shall be frictionally carried over to the collecting de-' vices, and the star wheels L and positioning drum K operate to retain the documents in their correct position in the receptacle B.

The invention of course is not limited to the precise details of .construction hereinbefore described as these may be modified in many respects without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claiming-clauses.

WVhat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a

selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, a positioning device projecting into engagement with the documents next to be operated upon by the picker, means for operating the positioning device to feed the said document to one end of the receptacle, and collecting devices cooperating with the picker to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

2. In a machine for sorting documents and the like the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, a positioning device projecting into engagement with the document next to be operated upon by the picker, reversible mechanism for operating the positioning device to feed the document to one end or the other of the receptacle and collecting devices cooperating with the picker to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

3. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a

selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, a positioning device projecting into engagement with the document next to be operated upon by the picker, finger controlled reversible mechanism for operating the positioning device to feed the document to one end or the other of the receptacle and collecting devices 00 operating with the picker to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

4. In a machine for sorting documents or the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a

selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, positioning devices projecting into engagement with the document next to be operated upon by the picker, means for operating said positioning devices to feed the said document downward into engagement with the bottom of the receptacle and collecting devices cooperating with the picker to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

5. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, positioning devices driven by the drum and projecting into engagement with the document next to be operated uponby the picker drum to feed the same downward to the bottom of the receptacle and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

6. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the dccuments in turn from the receptacle, star wheels frictionally engaging the picker drum and the document next to be operated upon by the latter, and operatedto feed the said document downward to the bottom of the receptacle and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

7 In a machine for sorting documents or the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, means for re turning to the receptacle documents adhering to those correctly removed by the picker, and collecting devices cooperating with the picker to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

8. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for ed, a rotary selecting picker drum for re moving the documents in turn from the receptacle, friction rollers situated above the receiving receptacle and closely adjacent the periphery of the picker drum to engage documents removed from the receptacle without proper engagement with the picker drum, means for driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite direction to the opposed surface of the drum, and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

9. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a. rotary selecting picker drum for'removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, friction rollers situated above the holding the documents to be sort receiving receptacle closely adjacent the periphery of the drum to engage documents carried forward without proper engagement with the picker drum and arranged end-on in pairs, means for driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite direction to the opposed surface of the drum, guards for the friction rollers projecting between the adjacent ends of the friction rollers, and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

10. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle, grooves in the surface of the drum, friction rollers situated above the receiving receptacle, and closely adjacent the periphery of the picker drum to engage documents removed from the receptacle without proper engagement with the picker drum, bands running in the grooves in the picker drum and driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite clirection to the opposed surface of the drum, and collecting devices cotiperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

11. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted. a selecting drum arranged to rotate with its surface adjacent the receptacle, a series of pins on the surface of the drum for engaging perforations in the documents to remove the latter in turn from the receptacle, collecting devices cooperating with the pins to sort the documents, conveyor bands running over the portion of the surface of the drum adjacent the pins, a cradle mounted adjacent the surface of the drum to slide longitudinally of the axis thereof, and guide pulleys for the conveyer bands carried by the cradle and so situated as to cause the latter to proceed first in a substantially horizontal direction from the surface of the drum to detach the documents from the pins, and then to proceed in a direction inclined downward toward the collecting devices to feed the documents to the latter.

12. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a selecting drum arranged to rotate with its surface adjacent the receptacle, a series of pins on the surface of the drum for engaging perforations in the documents to remove the latter in turn from the receptacle, collecting devices cooperating with the pins to sort the documents, conveyer bands running over a portion of the surface of the drum adjacent the pins, a cradle mounted adjacent the surfaceof the drum to slide longitudinally of the axis thereof, fingers depending from said cradle opposite the ends of the drum, and guide pulleys for v the conveyer bands carried by the cradle and so situated as to cause the latter to proceed first in a substantially horizontal direction from the surface of the drum to detach the documents from the pins, and then to proceed in a direction inclined downward toward the collecting devices to feed the documents to the latter.

13. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, said receptacle having double ends, means for adjusting the position of the inner ends of said receptacle, a selecting picker for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle and collecting devices cooperating with the pickers to sort the documents as they are received from the picker.

14. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle and carrying them in an upward direction, a cradle mounted adjacent'the surface of the drum above the receiving receptacle to slide longitudinally of the axis of the drum, friction rollers carried in said cradle above the receiving receptacle and closely adjacent the periphery of the picker drum to engage documents removed from the receptacle without proper engagement with the picker drum, means for driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite direction to the opposed surface of the drum, resilient feeler wires carried by the cradle and extending from above the receptacle toward the uppermost part of the drum to retain the documents in close contact with the surface of the drum, and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

15. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle and carrying them in an upward direction, a cradle mounted adjacent the surface of the drum above the receiving receptacle to slide longitudinally of the axis of the drum, fingers depending from said cradle opposite the ends of the drum, friction rollers carried in said cradle above the receiving receptacle and closely adjacent the periphery of the picker drum to engage documents removed from the receptacle without proper engagement with the picker drum, means for driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite direction to the opposed surface of the drum, resilient feeler wires carried by the cradle and extending from above the receptacle toward the uppermost part of the drum to retain the documents in close contact with the surface of the drum, and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

16. In a machine for sorting documents and the like, the combination of, a receptacle for holding the documents to be sorted, a rotary selecting picker drum for removing the documents in turn from the receptacle and carrying them in an upward direction, a cradle mounted adjacent the surface of the drum above the receiving receptacle to slide longitudinally of the axis of the drum, friction rollers carried in said cradle above the receiving receptacle closely adjacent the periphery of the drum to engage the documents removed from the receptacle without proper engagement with the picker drum, and arranged end-on in pairs, means for driving said friction rollers in such a direction that the surface of the rollers toward the drum travels in the opposite direction to the opposed surface of the drum, guards for the friction rollers carried on said cradle and projecting between the adjacent ends of the friction rollers, and collecting devices cooperating with the selecting action of the picker drum to sort the documents.

in testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK READING FROST. JUS'lUS LOUIS CHARLES RUBARDT.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. BRIDGE, PERCY HEWITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained (or five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G. 

